Déithe
by SirArthurNudge
Summary: Legend holds that at the beginning there was only Anu and from his epic struggle came all of creation... or has the truth really been lost with none willing to correct it...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Shen was not known for his compassion or for making haste.

As he hurried along the dusty road through the Dry Steppes, he was far from his usual self.

Night held sway and cast its darkness across the sky above him.

The endless drifting stars however kept it from consuming the light whole and glittered like the jewels he so coveted.

"Hurry up, stupid beast!" Shen shouted as he whipped his pack animal.

The cow sped up at the pain and the old wizened man had to run to keep up.

* * *

Dawn found them having passed the border into Scosglen.

They watched the sun rise as they stood on the outskirts of Tur Dulra, the greatest college of the Druids.

He paused to catch his breath and to let his cow graze.

Shen finally took a moment to himself and stared down at the swaddled bundle in the sling around his chest.

The baby slept on, ignorant of the turmoil her arrival had caused.

"You have luck on your side," Shen muttered. "Luck that made it me that found you first. You will be safe here until you have grown."

He dragged his beast back from where it had wandered off and once more set off along to the path.

By the time they reached the small enclave a light rain was starting to fall.

Shen argued with the guards at the gates until finally they relented and allowed the strange old man to enter.

He knew where he was going.

* * *

Shen walked along the muddy root covered pathway in a straight line to his destination.

The small hut he aimed for was sheltered under one of the many ancient trees of the forest. It had not changed in years and neither had its keeper.

It was far too early for the place to be open but Shen did not have time to wait. He hammered on the door.

"Open up!" he roared. "You are always so lazy! Morning is the best time for business!"

The front door opened slightly as the hut's occupant peered out.

"Shen? Ha! I knew this year had been going too well but to have you visit is going a bit far to balance it."

"Just open the door!"

"Fine, fine. A moment."

Shen hovered anxiously in the doorway as he waited. The door unlocked fully and he rushed into the building.

* * *

The shaggy red-head giant of a druid he was confronted with grinned.

"Shen. What have you got for me?"

"This."

He took the baby from the sling and passed it over.

"Eh... not your usual trade. What is this?"

"A secret. One to be kept hidden from the dark."

The druid frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"A fallen star, Oisi. You know what that means."

The druid stared down at the infant who still slept peacefully.

"What of the family?" he asked softly.

"None lived."

Oisi nodded. "Right. I will find a new home for her. We must act quickly, Shen. Time is never with us."

Shen reached into his side-bag and pulled out a small jewelled bracelet. Oisi touched it reverently.

"You have been keeping a lot of things from me."

"Only this. It has been so long since one of us has been born. Even we were not first birthed on this world."

"Hmm. True."

He took the bracelet from Shen's outstretched hand. Oisi gazed down at the peaceful child in his arms.

"I will keep her with me. Who better to care for her than one like her."

The old man chuckled. "Like I hoped you would. There would be none better to teach her than you."

Oisi snorted. "Praise from you is not praise at all, Shen."

* * *

The druid held the child up and stared at her face.

"She will be strong... as we all were," Shen mused.

Oisi lowered her back down and cradled her once more.

"What do you mean by were? I shall have my strength... but thank you, old friend."

"Will you be leaving this place?"

"I imagine I must. It was nearing time anyway for me to move on."

"Centuries pass by so quickly. I sometimes forget. Now forgive me but I must go. I cannot delay otherwise-"

Oisi reached out and shook Shen's hand.

"I know. Thank you. You know how to find me if you need to."

Shen nodded, gave a small smile to the infant before leaving Tur Dulra almost as fast as he arrived.

* * *

Oisi shut the door after him and gazed down at the child.

He took the bracelet he held and placed it on her right wrist. The metal glowed and started to shrink until it fitted her perfectly.

The druid sighed in relief.

"So... what shall I name you... I will have to think of something that fits. You shall be bearing it for a long time."

The baby's eyes fluttered open. Grey-green eyes stared back at him. For a moment there was understanding behind them.

Then she started to cry as her empty stomach pained her.

"And I need to get a wet-nurse."

Oisi put on the cloak he left near the door before venturing out with the wailing child to find what she needed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Sorcha! With me."

Oisi's voice was low and hushed as the druid crept along the undergrowth. A number of deer were walking through the thick brush of the forest, still unaware of his presence. He quickly got his bow ready.

He glanced to the side to make sure Sorcha had reached him. The nine-year old's blonde head popped up next to him as she peeked out at the animals in front. Oisi pulled back on the taut string of his bow with his arrow loaded, took aim and fired.

The shot hit the deer in the throat. Blood gushed out, staining the animal's fur red. It staggered forward a few feet before blood loss caused it to fall.

Oisi rushed to its side, drew a knife and quickly put the creature out of its suffering.

He looked up and grinned at Sorcha.

"Now... think you can do better if I gave you the bow?"

The girl shook her head. "Not yet, Dad."

He chuckled. "One day you will be besting me at it I am sure."

* * *

Oisi led his daughter in the task of cleaning and stripping the deer.

To make their job easier, they would do the gruesome work wherever they dropped their prey and, to his pride, Sorcha was becoming quite the expert at it. When she was younger it had been a much more difficult task for her.

Even now she was reluctant to take a life even of an animal but Oisi had faith she would one day be fully competent to survive in the forests on her own.

Not that he ever intended on abandoning her of course. The years since Shen had delivered her to his care had been kind to them.

They had lived in the outskirts of Tur Dulra until Sorcha had been fully weaned. He had luckily enough found a wet-nurse not too far from the college grounds. The lady had become very attached to the baby and had often asked to keep her.

Oisi couldn't let Sorcha go. The child had latched on to him as he had to her.

Once the toddler was on solid foods, he had packed up their belongings and the pair disappeared into the forests.

Oisi knew of ancient pathways that had long ago been lost to the knowledge of the living.

He led Sorcha to a home he used from time to time. Here they would be concealed from all - bar those foolhardy explorers that dared venture the dark and dangerous paths it took to reach them.

* * *

They quickly skinned their prey and cut off the choicest pieces of meat.

After bundling it all into a large bag, Oisi instructed Sorcha in thanking the deer for its unwilling sacrifice and left the remains for other creatures to feast on.

They headed homewards.

Sorcha spent the trip running barefoot along fallen trees and picking wild flowers.

Half the time she would sing songs that she heard from the trees, sky and stars. Oisi knew of what she spoke of but had sat her down to explain carefully to her young mind that it would be better if she never told anyone but him about that.

The bracelet was doing its job but Sorcha couldn't escape what she was forever. At least he would have her ready before the day came when the truth could no longer be hidden.

They arrived back to their hut in record time.

Sorcha's long blonde hair - with its scattered braids that had taken Oisi half an hour to weave into it that morning - bounced around her head like a halo as she hopped cheerily into the clearing.

Sorcha got to work doing her assigned chores while Oisi put a hunk of meat in a pot to cook before starting the curing process for the rest.

He sat and watched her dance around as she gathered herbs from the small garden she had begged him for.

Sorcha had a gift for growing things, not that he was surprised at that fact. She was almost perfectly in tune with life itself on this world.

Oisi chuckled as he heard her talking happily to the plants, thanking each for the leaves she plucked from their stems.

* * *

Winter would arrive soon.

He could feel its approach in his very bones. This season - the first time since she was small - Oisi would bring her back into contact with others. It was time for Sorcha to learn the social skills that would serve her well long into the future.

The girl had been excited when he had first informed her of the plan but now he could see her becoming nervous of the idea.

Oisi had no doubt that she would settle in to community life well.

He was more concerned by the dark forces that swelled and surged across the world.

Sanctuary had changed a lot from when he had first walked on its surface. The Nephalem that had once roamed the world were long gone, leaving behind another weaker race in their wake.

For the better as far as Oisi was concerned.

Too much power for those so young was never a good idea. Anu had been a perfect example of that folly.

In the time he had spent hiding with Sorcha many things had come to pass.

The worldstone was destroyed. They had felt it shatter and disappear, the ripples of its destruction echoing out unseen to many but clear as day to both Oisi and Sorcha.

She had only been five at the time and fearful of the distortion that warped the environment around her.

Oisi knew that the destruction of the stone had one certain consequence that he felt deep in his heart - the barriers separating the realms started to weaken.

Sorcha suffered nightmares from that night onwards.

She described to Oisi with perfect detail the war-torn landscape of Pandemonium, the angelic armies and the demons that fought across its plains. Sorcha felt the loss of the stone and its protection of Sanctuary far more than he did.

He watched his daughter continue in her tasks and sighed.

She was not strong enough yet to be able to defend herself against those who would use her for their own ends.

Not that it mattered. He would not let any harm her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"What is this place? It... it feels wrong."

Oisi sniffled a little as he pulled on the reins, bringing their small wagon to a halt. "This is New Tristam, Sorcha."

His companion covered over her nose. "The stench of death... this place is surrounded by darkness, Father."

"I know. Come. They have just survived a terrible ordeal. There will be many requiring aid in one form or another. We might as well make ourselves useful before we begin our search in earnest."

He stepped off the rickety old wagon they had used to travel to this place. Once back on solid ground, Oisi took a good look at the grim surroundings.

Not far from this spot lay Old Tristam where this mess had started. The events leading up to the release of the Prime Evils and the worldstone's destruction on Sanctuary had taken root there.

* * *

He glanced behind him and offered his hand to Sorcha as she stepped off their transport.

His little girl had grown up.

Sorcha had become tall but had not reached heights such as his own. Years of learning the arts of survival on Sanctuary had left her with more musculature than the average human female they came across but nothing too obvious that it set her apart from others.

What did mark her out was how beautiful she had become. Sorcha's heart-shaped face was dominated by her large doe-like grey-green eyes and full lips. She still wore her blonde hair long with a few braids artfully scattered around in it. Right now she had yanked it all back with a piece of stretchy hide to keep it from falling into her eyes.

Their journey to this blighted place had taken many days and nights. The moment Oisi had seen the bolt of light that rushed across the sky he knew they had to follow.

It was no falling star that had crashed down into Sanctuary. Oisi knew an Angel when he saw it, even one that had forsaken its immortality and had fallen from the High Heavens.

He knew that the man he sought would have seen it too. Oisi just hoped that Shen's interest would have been similarly sparked and that his friend had decided to journey here.

* * *

The town was in mourning.

They both felt the overwhelming grief in the atmosphere the moment they stepped inside the gates.

The captain of the town guard was very informative about the attacks on the recovering village and the recent death of Deckard Cain.

He had known of the Horadic scholar and had some limited dealings with the man in Cain's youth. Oisi had learned to always be careful with those he dealt with and restricted how much they knew of him and how much contact they had overall.

The only person other than Sorcha who knew Oisi for who he really was was Shen.

After he had carefully given his sympathies, Oisi walked slowly through the town while looking around for his quarry.

A burning pyre blazed on a nearby hillside to the town. Sorcha stood on the edge of the town's square with her gaze fixed on the distant fire.

Oisi joined her. "He is there then."

Sorcha nodded. "A fallen Angel... who would have thought it..."

"I know of one who would make such a sacrifice."

His daughter raised a brow at that. "Why would anyone forsake their own realm for this place?"

"Tyrael does not think in the same way as his brothers and sisters do."

"The Archangel of Justice?"

Oisi hummed. "You cannot be forge such a thing as justice into a set form, Sorcha. Tyrael was a manifestation of Anu's dream of it. He and his siblings have become very much their own people in the many years since their creation."

* * *

Oisi suddenly brightened a little as he picked up on a distant voice he hadn't heard in years.

"Come... I have found him."

He led Sorcha down a small set of steps until he spotted who he had been searching for.

"Shen!"

The old man turned around from his stall.

"Oisi! Oh my... the girl too."

Shen stepped forward quickly and took Sorcha's right hand with its ornate bracelet into his own withered pair.

"How you have grown. Beautiful as I knew you would be. You shine like the most precious of jewels but not with their cold or heartlessness."

Sorcha gasped a little at the man's touch as it sent shocks up her arm. "You are like us," she whispered.

The old man smiled. "I am, little one. More like Oisi than you but near enough the same. We are all strangers on this world."

Oisi coughed. "We are on a quest, Shen. One which I think you are on too."

"Oh? And what one would that be?"

"I imagine gathering pieces of a magnificent crystal stone would be an easy task for a jeweller with a keen eye."

Shen smirked. "Perhaps... but what of it? What do you intend on doing with such a thing?"

"Piece it back together. Restore what has been lost by the naïvety of justice."

His old friend chuckled.

"I always did like how you would say things, Oisi. Come. I may have some of what you seek in my cart."

* * *

As the pair looked over some pieces, Sorcha herself turned her gaze up to the stars.

She grimaced a little as her heart skipped and pained her.

Behind her closed eyelids she saw a city of silver, gleaming in daylight... a massive diamond gate fractured and broken... an Angel clad in ornate armour lying on the ground. Sorcha reached down to see if the Angel was okay.

He woke up suddenly and grabbed her outstretched hand. He stared right at her. For a moment they knew each other by heart...

The vision disappeared.

She stumbled a little as reality flooded back. Oisi caught her quickly.

"Sorcha?"

"I saw it again."

Shen frowned. "Saw what?"

"The silver city with the broken gates," Oisi said softly. "And the Angel with a heart full of anger."

Sorcha leaned into her father's arms. "We have to fix the stone somehow. I can't keep doing this," she breathed out.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Oisi settled his daughter on a seat in the town square with a warm drink to relax while he and Shen busily went through what the old man had in his cart.

Sorcha leaned back in her seat until she rested against the cold wall behind her and stared up at the stars.

For a moment she was lost in the whispering voices that called to her.

She strained to hear what they said. Oisi could easily interpret the voices that echoed like musical notes across the sky but she struggled with it sometimes.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Sorcha jumped a little before her eyes landed on the owner of the voice. A young woman with short brown hair and a yellow hairband had appeared at her side.

"Thank you for your concern," Sorcha quickly sputtered, "but I am all right. Just a little tired."

"I haven't seen you around here before. A newcomer?"

Sorcha smiled. "Yes. I have travelled here with my father. We are just passing through."

The human nodded. "I wish you well then on your travels."

Sorcha stopped her before the human could return to her tall stern looking companion who waited a short distance away.

"What is your name? I just... I wish to know. Not often you meet someone concerned over the health of a stranger these days."

The woman gave her a weak smile. "It's Leah... Leah Cain."

Sorcha flushed. "I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I had heard of your uncle before. He was meant to have been a great man."

Leah grimaced a little before looking to the side. "He was. Thank you."

The woman turned on her heel and stepped lightly away. Her companion gazed intently at Sorcha.

She met the man's eyes with a stare as determined as his own. She blinked, her pupils growing wide as the man in front of her changed.

Instead of the human in robes she was confronted with the same armoured Angel she had seen in her visions.

* * *

Tyrael frowned at the girl.

She was out-of-place. He couldn't put his finger on it exactly but he just knew she didn't belong on Sanctuary.

He saw those very human eyes of hers widen and turn almost black as she stared directly at him.

_What was she seeing_ he mused.

Surely she couldn't pick up on what he was...

* * *

Sorcha watched as the Angel pointed at Leah with the crystal-like spear in his hand.

The warm good-hearted human changed before her. Leah's skin turned a deathly pale, grey in parts with pulsing veins. The woman's soul was not there behind her eyes.

Sorcha blinked as the sudden realisation of what was going to happen to Leah washed over her in a flood of disbelief and sadness.

She was going to be betrayed but perhaps... perhaps Sorcha could do something.

She desperately rummaged around in her pocket before finding a small acorn - one of many she had retrieved before the start of their journey from the Glór-an-Fháidha, the greatest oak in Scosglen.

She quickly rushed over to Leah and grabbed her shoulder to turn the woman around. Sorcha pressed the acorn into the palm of Leah's right hand before closing her fingers around it tightly.

"In the hour of your greatest need, hold on to this."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just keep it with you. It will not fail you when you need it the most. I won't let you fall. Sanctuary shouldn't lose its best to the darkness."

Sorcha quickly hurried away.

* * *

Leah stared down at her hand. "I'm not sure what happened there," she said softly to Tyrael.

"Do as the girl asked. Keep it with you."

The human looked up at the tall Angel. "But how do we know that it is not some sort of trap?"

"It isn't. There is no demonic presence in the woman. She is something else."

Leah frowned. "What else is there? Is she Nephalem? Angel?"

"I have no answers for you as I have none for myself. We do not have time to think on this mystery. The Nephalem will be departing in a few hours. We should make ourselves ready too. Your uncle's death will not be in vain."

Leah stared down at the acorn before pocketing it. She left the Angel's side and headed away to gather her things for the journey ahead.

* * *

Tyrael walked down to where Shen the jeweller was chatting to a tall red-headed man with the blonde woman beside them.

"Excuse me but-" he began.

"Ahhh the mysterious stranger! How went the funeral rites?" Shen quickly interrupted.

"Adequate."

"Good good. I hear tell that you are moving on soon?"

"Indeed and-"

"Fantastic. I shall have to ready myself for the journey. I would like to see how this all ends. And be of help of course."

Shen's tall friend eyed Tyrael strangely. "Shen... I am afraid that Sorcha and I must leave. We have a long road ahead of us."

"Of course. Don't be a stranger, Oisi."

The druid grinned. "I won't. Good luck... to all of you."

The red-head grabbed a firm hold of Sorcha's elbow and led her away.

Tyrael watched them leave with interest. "Shen... what can you tell me about your companions?"

"Oh they are not that interesting! Oisi is an old friend. Now I have something that might be more worth your interest! How about this enchanted gem? I am selling it at an almost criminally low price!"

* * *

Oisi led Sorcha back to their cart and quickly helped her up.

"What is the rush?" his daughter asked.

"Shen has given me a number of shards. The longer we stay here the more dangerous it is for those around us. We can handle what will come but the townsfolk in Tristam cannot survive another assault. He has also given me a lead on where we might find another piece."

Oisi crack the reins and started the cart moving. Sorcha stared back at the quickly disappearing town.

"Father?"

"Yes Sorcha?"

"When I looked into Tyrael's eyes... I saw another for a moment in his place."

"Who did you see?"

"Valor. He was angry. I think... I think I have to save him."

"Save him from what?"

"Himself."

* * *

Oisi glanced over at his daughter who was gazing back at the distant lights of the town.

"Perhaps... or perhaps he is to save you."

"I don't know about that. I saw Cain's niece too. She was not herself in my vision."

Oisi frowned. "I fear that child's fate was preordained from the moment of her birth."

"Like mine I think."

Her father frowned at that but chose to keep silent. Oisi cracked the reins and urged the beasts onwards.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Just hold on to the rope! Don't worry! I won't let you fall!"

Sorcha looked back up out of the well she slowly descended into.

"It better be down here, Father. You know I am not fond of the dark!"

"Trust me! I know what I am talking about. You will feel it too soon enough."

Sorcha snorted as chills ran up her spine at the seemingly endless dark beneath her feet. Oisi was lowering her steadily using a number of ropes and a nearby tree to help secure his convoluted arrangement.

"Why can't you just teleport us down again?" she shouted up fearfully as the dark finally started to rattle her nerves.

"The shard is too close for me to warp in and out. You know that yourself! Now you should be nearing the end. Get that light of yours out."

Sorcha fumbled around in one of her pockets for the small cloudy white crystal she carried.

Once in her hand, she tapped on it four times before finally managing to spark what she wanted within.

The crystal erupted with white light.

Sorcha grimaced as she realised just how tight space was in the well. The stone walls covered in moss and grim from the centuries were pressed close around her.

She closed her eyes and took deep calming breathes as Oisi kept lowering her further down.

* * *

Finally Sorcha felt a definite change in the air around her, almost like a breeze suddenly caressing her skin. She opened her eyes, shone the light downwards and gasped.

"What do you see, Sorcha?"

"A cavern!" she shouted back up. "This is no well, Father. This is the entrance to a damn cave!"

Sorcha waited patiently as Oisi obviously thought through the next step.

"Right... I am going to lower you down the rest of the way. From there on I want you to move slowly through until you find the shard. I know you are completely capable to taking care of yourself but if you do run into trouble then get back here! I'll get you back up."

"All right. If you think so," Sorcha replied unsteadily.

* * *

Another few more minutes of that slow descent and finally her feet landed in the murky water that covered the cave floor.

It rose up past her knees to her disgust.

Sorcha freed herself of the ropes, shouted up to Oisi that she was on her way before taking a good look around. Her glowing crystal cast flickering shadows on the rocky walls.

The constant noise of dripping and flowing water drowned out anything else.

Sorcha eventually spotted a small tunnel leading out of the vast chamber. _As good a place as any to start looking_ she mused.

She quietly followed the bubbling stream of cold water that flowed along the tunnel.

As she went further in, Sorcha grimaced as a familiar tugging started within. Sorcha suddenly was almost overcome by a wave of nausea and had to stop for a moment.

As her stomach turned, the young woman barely kept her breakfast inside her.

The shard was close.

She dragged herself along the pathway until she spotted a distant flickering light. Over the noise of running water, Sorcha heard the chattering of rats followed by the low rumbling groans of what she knew to be Walking Corpses.

Just beyond the hordes, she spotted the source of the light.

It was the shard of the worldstone they sought.

Sorcha shook her head.

If she wanted it then she needed to get past those creatures.

With the shard being so close she knew it would not be a fair fight.

It's very vicinity to her even now drained her of power.

* * *

Her eyes took in the mossy covered rocks just to her right.

Oisi had always warned her not to do what she conceived of now lightly but she felt she had no other option.

Sorcha quickly placed her hands on the pile and focused everything she had into the lifeless rock and stone.

"Help me... please..." she whispered while pouring out every last drop of her strength.

The stones started to move of their own accord, tumbling on top of each other until instead of a random mound of rocks there stood a golem with shining eyes and a strange mossy covering.

It stared at Sorcha as it awaited its orders.

"I am so sorry!" she breathed out. "To bring you to life only to..."

The blonde shook her head. "Please... bring me the shard. Let nothing stand in your way."

The creature born of rock nodded before plodding down the tunnel.

Sorcha leaned back against the nearest wall and watched her creation charge into battle.

The golem, although only new to the world, crushed the many rats underfoot while it knocked away the shambling corpses with powerful swings of its arms.

Sorcha grimaced at each conflict, hoping against hope that the golem was strong enough for the task she had given it. Before she knew it, one of its stubby rock hands reached out and grabbed the glowing piece of crystal.

He started back to her slowly, pausing only to defeat any who opposed it on its return journey.

By the time it reached her there was none remaining who were a threat.

It offered Sorcha the crystal which she took eagerly even with the waves of sickness passing over her.

* * *

She found her steps back more difficult than the way down but, with the golem's help, Sorcha finally reached the rope.

Just as she was being lifted up, Sorcha looked down at the glowing eyes of the golem. It stared at her hopefully and reached out to her with one of its hands.

He would remain here alone in this dark cave if she didn't do something.

Sorcha couldn't let that happen.

"Father! Catch!"

She threw the piece of the worldstone they had retrieved back up the well. The ropes went slack and she let out a little squeal as she dropped almost back down to the cave floor while Oisi desperately grabbed at the crystal.

"You could have waited!" he grumbled at his daughter once he had retrieved both the crystal and the rope.

"Sorry," Sorcha shouted to him as the rope started to be pulled up once more.

She reached down and grabbed the hand the golem still offered her. The rocks fell apart into a mound while Sorcha carefully clasped the spark of life she had given him. It flickered and glowed warmly in her palm.

"Don't worry," she whispered to it. "I will give you a better body once this is all done."

She yanked out another opaque crystal from her belt and placed the golem's spark inside it.

"You just have to stay in there for the time being. Father will be angry at me if he knew..."

Oisi yanked her out of the well.

"You are soaking wet," he murmured.

"Worth it I think."

Her father laughed. "Indeed! Indeed... Come. Let us get to that inn a mile or so back. Some good food and a soft bed will do us both the world of good."

Sorcha followed after the hulking druid while smiling at the flickering spark in the crystal.

"I shall have to give you a name," she chuckled quietly.


End file.
